Producers get direct access to the QS database

Farmers and producers will be able to directly access their data stored in the QS database. So far, this was only possible through the coordinator. With the personal access the farmer receives:

read-only access to all the company-related data stored in the QS scheme’s data-bases, such as audit results and monitoring data, as well as

information about access rights, meaning, which coordinator, certification bodies or – if consented - third parties have access to the data.

In the coming months, the coordinators will send the individual access data to the compa-nies via e-mail or post.

In the QS scheme, coordinators represent the farmers in its entirety. In order to fulfill this responsibility, coordinators have access to the data stored in the database, which belongs to the companies coordinated by them, with the exception of particularly sensitive data (e.g. details about antibiotics prescriptions, diagnostic data of pigs). The coordinator can receive access to this data if written consent is previously granted by the farmer.

Data security in the QS Scheme

QS uses state-of-the-art information technology in the service of its scheme participants and the collection, storage and processing of their data. The security and reliability of this technology is equally as important as the trustworthy handling of the data. The scheme participants can fully trust the data security within the QS scheme: QS does not provide any company-related data to third parties without the explicit and prior consent of the scheme participant. A comprehensive information security plan, elaborated according to the stand-ards of the German Federal Office for Security and Information Technology (BSI for its ini-tials in German) is consistently adhered to and constantly reviewed.